Outremer I

by D. N. Carter

  “Believe it or not, they are indeed. If you are all still willing, I shall continue the story proper,” the old man asked. All looked at each other and nodded yes. Miriam moved herself closer to the Templar and he gently grasped her hand. The old man smiled.

  Chapter 16

  Pilgrims

  South of France, Draguignan Pierre des feé, 1179

  Lying upon the caravan’s main bunk, Paul was asleep with Alisha next him, her head resting upon his right arm. She was awake just looking at him quietly as birds sang outside. The early morning sun was already beaming almost horizontal rays through the small rear window around its little curtain. She thought about her father and Raja and looked upwards. She sighed heavily, rubbed her tummy and looked at Paul again then towards the sword hung nearby. A slight rap on the door drew her attention. She waited to see if anyone would enter but they did not. The door was rapped again. Carefully she sat up, swung her legs to her right and over the edge of the raised bunks side and lowered herself down. She was still wearing her dress, having fallen asleep before getting changed for bed the night before. Paul turned slightly and rolled onto his side still asleep. Quietly she opened the little door to see Sister Lucy stood upon the steps but looking behind her.

  13 – 1

  “Sister Lucy, what is it?” Alisha whispered as she moved to step outside.

  “Well just look for yourself,” she replied and stood down from the steps and aside.

  Alisha looked up towards the main track to see many people all gathered together and looking her way. Hesitantly she stepped down next to Sister Lucy.

  “What is this? Why are they all here?” she asked and straightened her dress.

  Taqi suddenly appeared to her side.

  “For you,” he stated and folded his arms, looking at the crowd as they moved slowly nearer.

  Alisha looked at him, alarmed.

  “Why? Do they mean me harm?” she asked and placed her hands over her tummy instinctively.

  Tenno appeared to her left side near to Sister Lucy and thumped his hand hard against the caravan to waken Paul.

  “I do not think so…but if they try…well,” Tenno said menacingly but reassuring for Alisha to hear as he placed his hand upon his main sword.

  The crowd of nearly a hundred people silently walked nearer and gathered in a semicircle in front of Alisha. Two women at the front of the crowd knelt down and crossed their hearts as others started whispering to one and other quickly. Alisha shook her head, bemused, and glanced at Sister Lucy quickly. Tenno moved and with both hands shook the caravan hard and thumped it again harder.

  “Please…tell me why you are here?” Alisha asked hesitantly and stepped forwards. Both Tenno and Taqi immediately moved to stand by her side. Sister Lucy opened the caravan rear door, pulled the curtain aside, looked in quickly, saw Paul was still asleep. She grabbed an empty chamber pot positioned near the door and threw it at him. It bounced off of his bed cover then glanced across the side of his head. Instantly he sat up rubbing his head. He saw Sister Lucy, realised Alisha was not next to him, and jumped down from the bunk alarmed.

  “Where is she?” he asked.

  “Come and see for yourself. And be thankful the pot was empty,” she replied and stood aside to reveal Alisha standing in front of the crowd. Quickly Paul rushed back to the bunk, grabbed the sword, unsheathed it and rushed to jump down from the rear of the caravan, catching his foot as he did and tripping. He fell forwards hard onto his chest in the grass, the sword pointing upwards in his right hand. He looked up as Alisha, Taqi and Tenno, and the entire crowd looked at him on the ground. Alisha let out a small laugh. Quickly Paul jumped to his feet and approached her.

  “What occurs here?” he asked as he looked at all the people staring at them.

  “I do not know,” she answered, just as puzzled.

  “Notice many have scallop shells on their clothing, hats and staffs,” Paul remarked.

  “Yes…pilgrims mainly by the looks of it,” Sister Lucy whispered from behind them.

  “What do you want of us?” Alisha asked again.

  “Lady…you are with child, yes?” the nearest kneeling woman asked.

  “Yes,” Alisha answered, embarrassed, as more in the crowd immediately knelt down.

  A tall dark haired woman dressed in a long dirty white cotton dress walked through the crowd towards her slowly. She had blue eyes, her hair jet black and her skin a very pale white.

  “We know who you really are,” she said warmly and smiled and offered Alisha a small package. Hesitantly Alisha looked at Paul for guidance. He looked at the woman suspiciously. “Worry not, ’tis just honey. For your baby,” the woman said and indicated with her eyes looking at Alisha’s tummy. She then tapped her finger upon her own chest indicating to Alisha the necklace around her own neck. Alisha immediately grasped the bee like necklace around her neck and pulled it away from her skin.

  “What…do you want this?” she asked confused.

  “No…Not at all…seeing you is gift enough,” the woman replied and knelt down still offering up the small package. Hesitantly Alisha stepped nearer and went to take the package, when the woman suddenly grabbed Alisha’s hand tightly and pulled it against her face, her eyes shut tightly. Paul and Tenno both lunged forwards fearing an assault but Alisha raised her left arm fast for them to stand still. “Forgive me…forgive me,” the woman whispered, kissed Alisha’s hand three times then looked up at her pleadingly.

  “Forgive you for what?” Alisha asked very aware of the crowd all looking at her. Paul studied them closely, concerned, as several Hospitallers approached and joined them standing close by, their hands ready upon their sword pommels.

  “You are she…just say you forgive me, mother of our Lord to be,” the woman almost begged, tears welling in her eyes.

  “Please…stand up…come on…stand up,” Alisha said softly and helped raise the woman to her feet. Both looked at each other for several moments. “Whatever you asked forgiveness of me for, of course I do, but I know not what for, truly.”

  “Thank you…and bless you,” the woman started to sob and lowered her head and again kissed Alisha’s hand. Alisha looked back at Paul totally bemused.

  “Well…this is certainly unexpected,” Sister Lucy stated and placed her hands upon her hips.

  The woman mouthed ‘thank you’ again in silence as she let go of Alisha’s hands, handed her the package and stepped back away still sobbing but smiling broadly. Before Alisha could move, another woman approached, knelt down before her and kissed her right hand.

  “No…What are you all doing? I am just Alisha. That is all,” she tried to explain embarrassed.

  “No, my woman…you are far more than that, even if you don’t know it yourself yet,” the kneeling woman stated. “Bless you, woman,” she said and stood up and quickly backed away. Alisha passed the small package to Taqi as another pilgrim knelt before her. She looked at Sister Lucy for guidance.

  “Just accept it, Ali, and let them, for I fear we will not leave today otherwise,” Sister Lucy commented.

  Paul looked at Tenno, who simply shrugged his shoulders, then Taqi, who shook his head, utterly bemused. The Hospitallers all stood in a horseshoe line around the group ever watchful as the people in the crowd took it in turns to see Alisha. Sister Lucy moved to stand beside Paul.

  “I think you can put the sword away now,” she remarked.

  “What is this all about?” Paul asked, confused.

  “Not sure yet. Could be that Mother Goddess and bee pendant she wears. Maybe they mistake her for someone else…but best let them so we may be on our way sooner rather than later. Now I best go and check on our leper friend,” she explained.

  “You know that he knows of you already,” Paul stated.

  “How so?”

  “When I met him in Rochfort, he told me he knew you, Firgany and Father. But he only knew you as Lucy, before you became a nun,” Paul explained.

  “Truly? We shall s
ee,” she replied sternly and turned to walk away.

  Sister Lucy approached the dolmen standing stones, the hills in the distance covered in a layer of thin cloud merging them into the sky. She could see Rick still lying upon the ground wrapped in blankets beneath the main capstone. He was still asleep as she knelt down beside him. His eyes were still swollen but not as badly as the night before. As he slept, she looked closely at him. He seemed familiar but she could not recognise him. Suddenly Rick woke up and opened his swollen eyes, his first view being that of Sister Lucy’s face staring down closely at him. He blinked several times to focus his sore eyes. Then his eyes locked upon hers. In an instant she realised who he was and cupped her mouth in shock, her eyes widening.

  “Lucy…how are you?” Rick asked in a dry voice and pulled the blanket up high across his face.

  “Theo…my Lord!” she gasped. “Oh my Lord…Is it truly you…alive?” she asked, shocked, her hands shaking uncontrollably with emotion as she still tried to cover her mouth. She collapsed to her side and rested upon her left arm, beginning to shake all over.

  Rick moved to sit up but winced in pain from his beating. He struggled to sit up fully as Sister Lucy just stared at him, uncontrollable emotions welling inside her as tears began to drop from her eyes. As Rick opened his eyes more fully, his pale blue eyes looking directly at her, she quickly wiped away the tears. Suddenly she lashed out her right arm and slapped him very hard across the face almost knocking him sideways.

  “Guess I deserved that?” Rick remarked as he sat back up and rubbed his face. He looked at her again as she shook all over. She gagged and coughed nearly being sick, but quickly stopped herself and covered her mouth with her right forearm, again just staring hard at him. “You still have that look,” Rick remarked. Whack! She slapped him again even harder this time making him roll to the floor. She covered her face with both of her hands shaking.

  “You are alive!” she cried and wiped more tears away again as fast as she could.

  “For the moment I am…but not for much longer if you keep doing that,” Rick replied as he tried to sit back up again. He looked at her intently in silence for a few moments, their eyes locked upon each other. She raised her hand to slap him again, but this time it was half hearted and Rick grabbed her forearm, stopping it. She looked at him, both with tears welling in their eyes.

  “My Theo,” Sister Lucy said softly and wrapped her left arm around him and hugged him tightly fighting to control her emotions. “I swore I would never cry another tear over you after you died…well you clearly did not die,” she whispered, pulling him close to her. Rick winced in pain as she hugged him due to all of his bruises.

  “And you are a nun?” Rick commented.

  “Yes…and not a very good one,” she joked and both laughed as they hugged each other. “You must tell me everything, do you hear…everything. If you do not, I shall kill you myself for sure, and what are you doing here?” she asked, uncharacteristically emotional, and held him even tighter.

  “That, my girl, is a very long story…but please, for now I beg of thee, do not let on to Paul whom I am for he thinks my name is Rick…and I do have my reasons why,” he explained and coughed in pain again. Sister Lucy sat back to look at him in the eye.

  “As you ask, I shall abide by your request until you have explained all to me. But in time you must reveal the truth to him,” she paused and just looked at him. “I cannot believe you are still alive,” she replied and hugged him again.

  As the last pilgrim kissed Alisha’s hand, Paul standing beside her, his sword pointed downwards, she smiled tiredly at the old man who kept kissing her hand repeatedly.

  “Please, she needs to rest now,” Paul explained and gently held the old man’s arm and helped him to stand. The old man’s deeply suntanned face was etched with deep lines, his eyes a clear hazel, his beard well kept. He wore just a brown shawl and dirty brown cope that looked more like an old sack than a coat. Adrastos kicked his front hooves as if trying to get Paul’s attention nearby. “Please, she really does need to rest now and we must be soon upon our way,” Paul said softly.

  “Young man, if God brings you to it, trouble that is, he will most assuredly bring you through it, for those who walk with God reach their destination,” he said quietly, bowed his head and slowly backed away.

  Alisha looked at Paul then behind at Taqi and Tenno still stood close by. Paul ushered her back towards the caravan as the Hospitallers broke their line and began to walk back towards their own horses and equipment being packed by their brethren.

  “I counted a hundred and fifty-five people,” Taqi remarked as he glanced back at the crowd as it began to disperse along the track.

  “Where did they all come from?” Alisha asked as Paul held her steady as the Hospitaller Marshal appeared beside them.

  “They were all staying at that small church and hospital. One of my Hospitallers spoke of what he saw yesterday with the angry mob. This route we take is a pilgrim path for the Holy Land. The Hospitallers have many hospices set up along its route and we are bound to offer shelter and free food to all who wear the scallop shell of a pilgrim,” he explained.

  Tenno looked at Alisha intently and took a deep breath. She smiled at him as he studied her.

  “Alisha, I swore I would get you to safety…and now I see clearly why and what I must do,” he explained and bowed his head slightly.

  Alisha held onto the caravan’s step and looked at him, the sun rising behind him causing him to be silhouetted against it. Just for a moment, his large broad shouldered frame made him appear just like her father.

  “Thank you, Tenno. That means a lot to us,” she replied softly as Paul nodded in agreement. Taqi smiled and stood up straighter next to Tenno.

  It was early and the sun was only just breaking over a ridge between two hills in the distance, the sun’s rays falling upon the main capstone of the dolmens. Alisha shuddered slightly from the cold, the dew on the grass making her toes wet through her sandals. She pulled the blue shawl around her shoulders tighter. Adrastos shook his head up and down as she walked past him quietly, a smouldering fire giving off a vertical funnel of white smoke as the air was still. A Hospitaller Knight snored in the distance as she stepped into the area beneath the dolmen stones’ capstone. She looked around then placed her right hand gently upon the biggest stone and closed her eyes. She stayed in that position for some moments just thinking about her father and her son to be.

  “Please, I pray let my son live even if it costs me my own life bringing him into this world…and give Paul the strength he will require to sustain him in the years ahead without me,” she whispered and held the necklace tightly in her left hand. “Please.”

  After a few moments she stood up straight, opened her eyes and looked to her right. A large open patch of grass where she had stood meeting all the pilgrims reflected the sun’s rays in the dew making it look like a carpet of shimmering tiny gold stars almost. It was only then that she remembered that within the dagger’s sheath she had found three acorns. She gently pulled her dress aside and removed the dagger, unclipped the small side pocket and removed one of the acorns. She knelt on the hard gravelly surface next to the biggest upright stone and leant forwards onto the wet grass. Gently she used the dagger’s three blades to scoop out a hole. When deep enough, she sat back, held the acorn in her hands.

  “Father…this is in memory of you. Always,” she whispered aloud, then kissed the acorn and placed it inside the hole and began to gently cover it over. Once covered, she sat back upon her heels and stared at the little patch.

  A Hospitaller moved into view from behind several horses tied up. He had been watching her. She turned her head to look up towards him as he approached slowly.

  “Is that some kind of pagan ritual you perform?” the Hospitaller asked pleasantly enough as he stood at the line of the dolmen stones. Alisha smiled and shook her head no. “Well it looked like it. I would advise caution in all you do and say for it is
clear that many will look to you for much…and others will see much in what you say and do,” he explained and leaned against the main upright stone and removed his helmet. He looked at her for several moments.

  Alisha began to feel slightly uneasy at his gaze and presence and stood up.

  “I am not sure I understand you,” she replied softly and pulled her dress down straight across her knees and adjusted it around her waist to conceal the dagger.

  “I saw what you did yesterday. As many will believe you are a great woman of purity, trust me when I say that there will be an equal number that will see the opposite in you and claim that evil runs through you,” the Hospitaller explained and stood up straight holding his helmet under his left arm. “’Tis not my intention to scare you, young woman, but simply warn you of things I have seen all too often. Women stoned and burnt alive simply because they spoke of something to come before it happened…or of healing a sick child who usually would have died…the ignorance of fools.”

  Alisha felt even more uncomfortable as the Hospitaller moved and stood even nearer. Both looked at each other in silence for a few moments.

  “Is there a problem here?” Paul asked as he approached from behind Alisha.

  The Hospitaller raised his right arm high immediately and shook his head no. Alisha turned to Paul and stood next to him placing her arm around his waist. Paul looked at the Hospitaller, who smiled broadly.

  “I was just offering some advice to your good lady…for I would hate to see any harm come to her…or the baby,” he remarked. “I bid you good morning,” he finished and bowed his head slightly before turning around and walking back towards the horses.

  “What was that all about?” Paul asked quietly and put his arms around her. “And what are you doing out alone so early?”